title: Breath analysis in asbestos-related disorders: a review of the literature and potential future applications.
abstract: Asbestos usage was very common worldwide in the last century and continues in several countries today. Several diseases occur due to asbestos exposure, including malignant tumours such as malignant mesothelioma of the pleura and lung cancer, which have a very poor prognosis. Asbestos inhalation may also result in more benign conditions such as asbestosis (or pulmonary fibrosis due to asbestos), pleural plaques and pleural thickening. It is predicted that asbestos-associated mortality and morbidity will continue to increase, but methods for diagnosing asbestos-related disease are currently invasive and unsuitable for an increasingly elderly population. New non-invasive methods such as analysis of exhaled breath biomarkers e.g. exhaled nitric oxide (F(E)NO), exhaled breath condensate or of exhaled volatile organic compounds could potentially be extremely useful in these conditions. This article reviews the current literature on this topic and suggests areas for their application in the future.
authors.affiliation: Inflammation and Infection Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Eleanor A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Deborah H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yates
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D001944:Breath Tests; D045853:Exhalation; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001194:Asbestos